Thurs AM I headed down Woods River valley bound for Driggs, ID, ultimately back to Victor for Ray Wylie Hubbard concert and meeting Steve and Mia on Thurs. I stopped @ Chip’s to say good bye and maybe I will see him in the fall.

Then I just drove. The American west: big and few people.

I stopped in Driggs @ Peaked Sports. A guy at the counter sort of looked familiar as I did to him. The memory caches were searched: I remember seeing you b4. I was here back in 2010 after the Bike Mag article hit the streets. Gary, the manager, saw my van in town. One day as I was driving past their store he stood out in the gutter and flagged me down. He had a copy of the mag and asked me to sign it which I did. I drove away. Today he told me they posted the pic in their restroom. Sure enough it is still there. The pic is a centerfold that when torn from the mag was 2 pieces. We chatted, he gave me a ride idea and a place to stay. Later I drove out to his spot, this dominated the skyline to the east:

Thurs AM my stomach was bothering me causing me to bag the ride. I did my wash then found an Anytime Fitness for a shower. I wanted to give the shop an entire pic. Gary showed me a nearby printing shop that printed an uncut pic that I gave to him. He was thrilled.

I drove back down to Victor. I checked out Fitzgeralds bike shop that relocated from Jackson. A woman approached me asking me if I knew Paul as she is facebook friends w/ him. She read his post from yesterday where he posted a pic of my van taken back @ Chip’s shop. I did meet Paul at the shop.

I drove back down to Victor then walked over to the park for the concert. Steve set out his chairs near the sound mixers spot. People filed in as Ray Wylie’s start time drew near. Nice crowd on the grass, the people ahead of us crowded to the stage. We were just back far enough sitting in chairs that they had to stand to see.

After the concert I drove back towards Driggs seeking a FS place to camp. I found Fox Creek location which turned out to be a 3.5 mile dead end gravel road. Once past the last house the road became an obstacle course evading the potholes.

Fri AM I drove back into Victor to learn more about this Philips ridge ride on the Jackson side of Teton Pass. Fitzgeralds knew little about it and they are an ID side of the pass shop. I drove over the pass to Wilson to a bike shop to learn details. I was told by the sales person working that the ride is stellar. I bought a map then drove across the road to the recommended parking spot.

The ride is 19 miles long which includes a hump up the road. I geared up. I  was prepared to hump the maybe 2,000′ and 3 miles to the dirt, mentally that is. However, the start is a popular starting point for other rides on the pass. I rode in circles in the parking lot scoping out likely looking shuttle ride. I waited about 15 mins b4 2 guys showed up after their ride and were loading their bikes in the back of a pick up for the drive back up to pick up the other rig. I asked for a ride and was given one. The ride starts out on the Arrow trail, a hand built nicely done single track. The name comes from the 5o0 boy scouts who built it for an order of the arrow service project. Great to ride dirt and over rocks that for the most part were anchored in the ground. I turned onto Snotel trail then turned onto Philips ridge trail proper. More great single track going downhill.

Philips ridge was great. 15 miles, I climbed 961′ but descended 2534′.

Big mountain scenery. Back in the 80s friends and I spent a week skiing here. We boot kicked up the mountain behind the snag. That accessed bowls on the ID side of the pass. We skied down to the hwy. I was the rental van driver making it my role to hitch hike back to the pass then drive the van back to pick my buds up. I was wearing some outlandish lycra tights that the guys thought would spell trouble in this cowboy country. They hid back in the trees not wanting to be associated w/ me in case there was a disagreement w/ my attire. The 2nd car that went by picked me up. We were doing what the locals do. That’s why I felt that I could get a shuttle ride w/ my bike.

 

Next stop is Bozeman. I had 2 route choices: Back to Driggs then north outside Yellowstone NP, or drive thru the park and camp. My senior access pass gained free entry. A reader board displayed campgrounds and their status. Most were full. My pick was Lewis lake the southern most  XG . I found an empty spot. I was near Grant Village that had showers. I drove up to the shower parking lot where there was a waiting line longer than i wanted to wait for. I drove back to Lewis which was filled. Weekend in Yellowstone during the summer is a popular over crowded place to be.

Today after Bfast I continued driving to Bozeman exiting the park @ West Yellowstone. The traffic heading into the park was like an evening commute traffic in a large city. Not many heading my way. Upper Geyser Basin and Firehole river is spectacular.

Friends from Spokane will be in West Yellowstone to ride some of the trails I want to ride. Grizz territory where proper prudence is to ride w/ others and carry bear spray. I bought a new bear spray and my buds will be my group.

I plan on hanging here for a day or so then drive up to Helena to ride and learn how the trails were mapped. I will catch up w/ Will of Beartooth Publishing, a map maker.

Yesterday I drove back over Galena Summit down to Stanley. I joined Cameron and Greg. Plan is to drive to Iron Creek and find a primitive camp spot. We scored the closest to the highway.  They put a big dent in a case of PBR then went to bed. Today wake up is 7:00, pack, then drive into Stanley to the Bakery for a sustaining bfast for the ride ahead. Rockman, we shuttled from Little Casino TH  putting 2 bikes on the roof rack and my wheelless bike in the back of his Outback. We drove up Boundary creek to the TH. The trail started out right up, I had no warm up. I hike a biked a good bit of the almost 2,000′ climb on loose decomposed granite (shit for pedaling). I never got my breathing to work. Hence the blog title. Boundary joined Little Casino that would take us back to my van parked on the Salmon river.

Killer view of Redfish Lake and back to where I back packed last week:

Loose dirt was challenging to ride over. It was 2.5 miles up then 9.5 miles along Little Casino. The middle section of the trail had been this summer rerouted on a newly built trail. The layout was OK bu the construction missed creating an outslope or proper grade changes to spill the h2o off the trail.

Loose decomposed granite.

We made it down to the van unscathed. We piled into my van then I drove us back to Boundary creek TH. They went back to town, I drove back down to redfish lake and took a shower. I drove back to Ketchum later.

Still in the upper 80s here but  chills off nicely. Fridge struggles still w/ high temp.

I shuffle out of Woods river Valley tomorrow after almost 5 weeks.

 

 

Steve proposed this ride up Red Warrior then over to come down Mars Ridge rejoining Red Warrior. This Mars would be new to me. We met out on Warm Springs road, 2 Sprinters home converted. Today we pedaled up Red Warrior where years before I rode down it on a Chips shop ride. Today the sky was the goal. Big hump. The trail crossed Red Warrior creek many times as the trail stayed in the creek bottom. Right @ the start we waded the almost knee deep creek setting up the cooling effect for our feet. Red Warrior joined Lodgepole dropping down to a gap in the ridge and then a punch in the gut climb out the other side thru the burn.

Mars Ridge is apparently named such for the red rock similar to the color on planet Mars. Lot of hike a bike because of the steepness and/ or rubble on the tread. Alpine view of what the eyes could see. Several places elk hang out as seen by the scat and hoof marks. Dirt bikes ride this trail which is a legacy trail design and in many places not sustainable, biggest issue was the erosion gulley down the trail and the loosened rock rubble. Just b4 rejoining Red Warrior the trail turned nasty. I lost concentration and kind of slid rode it. I waited @ the intersection for Steve. As he approached me I noticed dirt on his jersey and streaks of blood oozing from cuts and scrapes. Same section caught him: he went one way and his bike went the other.  He finished the ride as the blood clotted.

I pulled a move that brought a smile and chuckle. The trail on Red Warrior had dirt bike whoops, rollers to pump. Several of these whoops preceded a smooth bottom creek crossing that was too wide to clear. I knew it b4 hand. I pumped the rollers using the last one to set me up for a vault across the creek. I got air that landed me both wheels level in the creek throwing up a big spray and with enough speed to ride thru. Excellent. Only I know what I did.

Back @ TH we decided to take a soak in a hot spring just down the road. Just what the body needed: more heat. I didn’t time my soak. I staggered out of the rock impoundment hot pool to the creek for a chill off. The water felt almost warm that it wasn’t. I cooked myself that took the rest of the evening to recover from.

My plan was to camp out on warm Springs road; however, I mismanaged my propane supply. the gauge read I will be soon out, perhaps any minute. I need the propane to run the fridge and the stove.  I bailed on the camp spot and drove back down to Hailey to a gas station that would be open and sells propane. he pumped in 4.8 gallons, full is 5.6. I could have made it thru the night. I did run out of propane on a previous stay on Warm Springs when I needed the heater.

Fri night out @ my camp Cameron stopped by. He proposed a ride for Tuesday out Stanley way. I decided to join him. More new trail for me: Little Casino. Looks like I will leave here on Wed.

Steve told me he and his wife, Mia, are going to Victor to here J Wiley Hubbard. Victor is on the way to West Yellowstone. I will make my way there.

Chip spoke highly of Lionhead outside of West Yellowstone. It is in grizzly terrain and it is advisable to ride w/ others. Will of Beartooth maps gave me 2 contacts, I met both of them last year. I called Greg, he said he would help find a group for me to join. May I join a group.

So, travel plans are Victor, West Yellowstone, then Bozeman.

Trails here are mostly legacy where the tread is broken sharp edge sized like a paperback book and smaller: Rubble. The sharp edges limit rock movement which is way better than round river rock. trails go up and down, not much for flat. Dry and dusty from lack of rain and organic material to retain moisture. The views are literally on top of the world. Great place to ride. One of my “home towns”.